Product Design Gets Wilder, Faster

US sues creators of inescapable online ads

(NEWSER) - You’re probably sick of them by now: those ads that promise “1 Tip for a Tiny Belly” next to a drawing of a shrinking stomach. Don’t believe it, the government says: In different lawsuits, federal officials are pursuing those behind the ads, calling them a giant fraud, the Washington Post reports. The ads have garnered “tens of billions” of views, says a US lawyer, and have brought in more than a billion dollars—but they’re rife with misinformation. More»

(NEWSER) - From Rupert Murdoch to Twitter founder Evan Williams, moguls old and young descend on Sun Valley, Idaho, this week for an annual summit on media and technology. This year, reports the Financial Times, the dominant question concerns paid content—a debate that has spread from the troubled newspaper industry to all sectors of media. With advertising dropping by a worse-than-expected 8.5% this year, the power brokers have little choice but to find new models. More»

Microsoft boss says papers, TV won't bounce back

(NEWSER) - The ad revenue media companies lost in the downturn won't be coming back when things turn around, Steve Ballmer told an advertising conference yesterday. The Microsoft boss said the industry has been "reset" at a lower level, and media companies are going to have to learn to survive on less revenue as content continues to move online and traditional media fade, the Guardian reports. More»

Internet commercial suggests Bud drinkers buy porn

(NEWSER) - A new Bud Light ad—a viral video too risque for TV—points to the fact that pornography has “soaked so far into the fabric of mainstream culture that it's no longer seen as a stain,” writes Belinda Luscombe in Time. The ad suggests Bud Light drinkers are into porn: It shows a man buying the beer alongside a “really nasty” magazine, comically catching the attention of everyone in the shop. The fallout from the ad? There hasn't been any. More»

Lawman will monitor 'adult services' section as lawsuit proceeds

(NEWSER) - The Illinois sheriff who pushed Craigslist to dump its “erotic services” section says the replacement, now called “adult services,” is a step in the right direction, the Chicago Tribune reports. “The postings are definitely toned down a lot. My goal was to get the over-the-top stuff off,” Cook County's Tom Dart said. “They've done that.” Explicit photos, he said, are “the big thing,” and the latest ones seem more appropriate. More»